There had been only seven teams in the 20-year history of the College World Series best-of-three format to come back after losing the first game. The No. 1 team seed in the NCAA baseball tournament had not won a national championship since 1999, the first year of national seeding.
No. 1 Tennessee checked off both boxes Monday night. The Volunteers rode the strength of two homers, including a third straight seventh-inning blast from Dylan Dreiling, to beat No. 3 Texas A&M 6-5 in Game 3 of the College World Series, earning the program its first national championship.
There had been a home run in the first inning of both Game 1 and 2. Each was hit by an Aggie. On Monday, it was Tennessee star second baseman Christian Moore who got the fireworks going early, launching the fourth pitch he saw over the left-field wall to give Tennessee the early 1-0 lead.
Texas A&M tied the game with an RBI single from Gavin Grahovac in the top of the third, but Tennessee responded right away, taking the lead on a sacrifice fly from Dreiling to score Blake Burke. An RBI single later in the inning from Dean Curley drove in Tavares Tears to make it a two-run lead.
It was all quiet for three straight innings until Dreiling stepped up with Billy Amick on first. And just as he did in Game 1 and Game 2 against the Aggies, Dreiling blasted a home run to right, this one giving the Volunteers some cushion. Tears doubled two batters later, driving in Hunter Ensley, who had an impressive dodging attempt at the plate to get around a tag and push the lead to 6-3.
But Texas A&M wouldn’t go away. In the top of the eighth, Hayden Schott drove a single up the middle to score Jackson Appel, and Caden Sorrell doubled to left to score Schott and make it a three-run game. But Kirby Connell, after giving up a base hit, struck out a pair of Aggies to escape the jam and maintain Tennessee’s three-run lead.
The Aggies kept pushing in the top of the ninth, with Appel singling to score Grahovac and later coming around to score on a wild pitch to make the contest a one-run game. But Aaron Combs got Ted Burton to chase a slider down and away for the game-sealing strikeout.
The Sporting News tracked live updates from Monday's contest between the Aggies and Volunteers, the third game of the College World Series final. Follow below for highlights and more as two of college baseball's best clubs attempt to win a national title.
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee baseball score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | F | |
| Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 6 |
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee live updates, highlights from College World Series final
(All times Eastern)
10:33 p.m.: Burton strikes out swinging, and this series is over. Tennessee is the 2024 national champions of baseball.
10:32 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: Appel races home on a wild pitch. This is a one-run game. Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 5
10:30 p.m.: Masterful bounceback from Combs as he strikes out Schott on three pitches, ending the AB with a whiff on a fastball. The Volunteers are one out away from a title.
10:29 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: The tying run will bat in this inning as Appel drops a single into left to score Grahovac, who moved up to third on a wild pitcher earlier in the AB. Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 4
10:27 p.m.: Out No. 1 as LaViolette swings and misses at a high fastball for the strikeout.
10:23 p.m.: Grahovac lines a base hit over third and he races around to second for a leadoff double.
10:22 p.m.: Aaron Combs is on the mound for the Volunteers trying to close out this game. He'll face the top of the Aggie lineup in Grahovac, LaViolette and Appel.
10:19 p.m. End of eighth: Brutal baserunning gaffe by Stark, who is picked off second by the catcher throwing behind him. Tough mistake to make with the hottest hitter in the lineup at the plate.
10:18 p.m.: Moore strikes out chasing a high fastball. Burke coming up with two outs and a runner on second. He's blistered the ball every time he's been up to bat, even if he's only 2-for-4 tonight.
10:15 p.m.: Peebles goes down swinging at three pitches, but Stark rips a base hit into left. Grahovac had some issues handling the ball, bobbling it in left and Stark moves up to second.
10:11 p.m. End top eighth: Clutch pitching from Connell, who gets Targac to swing and miss at a slider down and away to get out of the inning.
10:09 p.m.: Connell carves up Kent, getting him to chase a slider down and away for the second out. Targac coming up to the plate.
10:07 p.m.: Camarillo beats out an infield single after hitting a grounder to the hole at Ariel Antigua. Kent will now step up to the plate as the tying run with runners on first and second.
10:02 p.m.: That will end the night for Loy. Tennessee is turning to Kirby Connell to try and escape the jam.
10:01 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: The Aggies aren't going away just yet. Sorrell rips a double into the left-center gap, and Schott races around from first to score. Still only one out in the eighth. Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 3
9:59 p.m.: Loy spins a perfect backfoot slider that gets Burton to swing and miss for a punchout. Sorrell due up with a runner on first and one out.
9:57 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: Two wild pitches move Appel up to third. Later in the AB, Schott rips his third hit of the game past Moore to make it a four-run game. Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 2
9:50 p.m.: Dylan Loy is the new pitcher for the Volunteers.
9:49 p.m.: Appel grounds a single up the middle for a leadoff knock.
9:45 p.m. End of seventh: Curley flies out to center as after four straight hits and three runs, the Aggies finally get the third out of the inning.
9:45 p.m.: The call on the field is confirmed. It is a five-run lead for Tennessee.
9:42 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: Tears missed a home run by a matter of inches as his double hits off the top of the right-center wall. The relay to the plate appeared to have Ensley by a matter of feet, but Ensley cuts to the other side and dodges the tag on his way to home. Texas A&M is challenging the play. For now, it's another run for the Volunteers. Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 1
9:40 p.m.: Ensley makes it three straight two-out hits for the Volunteers as he singles to left.
9:39 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: Amick reaches on a single, then Dreiling hits a two-run homer to right to extend Tennessee's lead. Dreiling has hit a home run in the seventh inning of every College World Series finals. Tennessee 5, Texas A&M 1
9:36 p.m.: Nearly a collision in left-center as LaViolette, who moved from right to center, nearly collides with Grahovac, who moved from third to left, on a flyout. But Grahovac makes the catch in front of the warning track on Burke.
9:35 p.m.: Moore skies out to right for the first out.
9:32 p.m. End top seventh: LaViolette hits a high chopper that leaps over the head of Burke at first, but Moore races over to get the grounder, throw it to Burke who alertly got back to first to get the out. The Volunteers escape a major jam and are six outs away.
9:30 p.m.: Important out for the Volunteers as Grahovac flies out to right. Kent moves up to third. Two outs with LaViolette coming up to the plate. And Tennessee is rolling the dice and sticking with Snead rather than turning to a southpaw in the bullpen for the lefty-lefty matchup.
9:27 p.m.: Targac draws the five-pitch walk. The tying run is on base and the go-ahead run is at the plate in the form of Grahovac, who has 23 home runs this season.
9:25 p.m.: The red-hot Kent laces a single up the middle for a one-out single. Ryan Targac is coming in to pinch hit for Chestnut with one out and a runner on.
9:23 p.m.: Camarillo strikes out swinging at a cutter for the first out.
9:19 p.m. End of sixth: Stark grounds out to end the inning. Aschenbeck pitches a scoreless sixth. Three straight scoreless innings as this game heads to the final three frames.
9:16 p.m.: LaViolette makes a nice running catch in foul ground to retire Peebles. Curley tags up and moves to third.
9:14 p.m.: Curley collects his second hit of the game as he hits a liner to right that LaViolette can't quite squeeze on a diving grab. LaViolette gets to it quickly to limit Curley to a double.
9:12 p.m.: Aschenbeck starts his appearance with a three-pitch strikeout of Tears.
9:10 p.m.: Evan Aschenbeck is coming in for the Aggies.
9:08 p.m. End top sixth: The Volunteers nearly pick off Burton at first, but Burke's tag is just late. Sorrell then rips a liner right at Burke, who makes the grab to get the Volunteers out of a jam.
9:04 p.m.: Slow roller to short is turned into a fielder's choice after Curley appears to have some issues flipping the ball to second. The Volunteers get the runner at second, but runners at the corners now for Sorrell with two outs.
8:58 p.m.: Schott picks up his second hit of the day, grounding a single through the left side of the infield to put the tying run on first. Burton will come up with two runners on. That hit will end the night for Sechrist as Tennessee turns to righty Nate Snead to face the right-handed Burton.
8:56 p.m.: Sechrist just misses the edge of the zone to run the count to 2-2, but the next pitch gets the swing and miss from LaViolette. Appel wastes no time the next at-bat, sending the second pitch of the AB into right for a groundball single.
8:52 p.m. End of fifth: It's an eight-pitch inning for Stewart as Ensley flies out to right to end the inning.
8:51 p.m.: Trouble in left field as Dreiling drops a base hit in left for a hit. The ball then takes a tricky hop to the left and it gets past Sorrell, allowing Dreiling to reach second for a double.
8:49 p.m.: Burke makes hard contact again as he lines out to the warning track in left. That was 107.5 mph off the bat. The next batter, Amick, hits it considerably less hard as he skies it to second for an infield popup.
8:46 p.m. End top fifth: Grahovac just holds up swinging on a 2-2 breaker, but then he's caught looking at a heater that goes right down the middle for strike three. Sechrist sets down each batter by way of the K in the fifth.
8:43 p.m.: Chestnut comes up empty swinging at a backdoor sweeper for the fifth strikeout of the night for Sechrist.
8:42 p.m.: Kent goes down swinging at an outside sweeper. That's four strikeouts now for Sechrist.
8:37 p.m. End of fourth: Moore swings and misses for a strikeout.
8:36 p.m.: Stark hits a liner that stays up just long enough for Stark to make the catch in right.
8:34 p.m.: Peebles hits a comebacker that deflects off the glove of Stewart right at Grahovac, who makes the throw to first for the out.
8:28 p.m. End top fourth: Camarillo grounds out to second as Sechrist gets out of the jam unscathed.
8:26 p.m.: Sechrist guesses right on the third pickoff attempt of Burton as the Aggie first baseman takes off for second. Burton slides into second just ahead of the throw from Burke for the successful steal on the pickoff.
8:24 p.m.: Sorrell waves through a 74 mph sweeper down and away for the strikeout. Two away in the top of the fourth.
8:21 p.m.: Pitch down and in to Burton just misses the corner on a full count for a walk.
8:19 p.m.: Routine groundout to Curley off the bat of Schott to start the fouth.
8:18 p.m. Tennessee scoring play, end of third: Curley rips a single into left, easily scoring Ensley from second. Curley is then caught in a rundown and tagged out to end the inning, but the Volunteers tack on and give their lead a little breathing room. Tennessee 3, Texas A&M 1
8:13 p.m.: That hit from Tears will end the night for Lamkin. Josh Stewart comes in to face Curley with runners on first and second and two out. Stewart pitched 2.1 innings (56 pitches) in Game 1, allowing only two runs on one hit (a home run) and three walks. He struck out four.
8:10 p.m.: Tears picks up his second hit of the CWS finals as he pulls a base hit into right.
8:09 p.m.: Ensley loops a base hit over second to keep the inning alive for Tennessee.
8:07 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: The Volunteers have re-taken the lead as Dreiling hits a deep fly to center that scores Burke. Tennessee 2, Texas A&M 1
8:05 p.m.: Heads up baserunning by Burke as he scampers to third with Grahovac and Camarillo both converging on a grounder by Amick. Camarillo makes the throw to first to get Amick, but now Burke is 90 feet away from scoring.
8:04 p.m.: Burke is now 2-for-2 today and 11-for-25 in Omaha as he crushes the 1-0 pitch to the right-center gap over the centerfielder's head and off the wall. He cruises into second for a double.
8:01 p.m. End top third: Huge double play for the Volunteers as Appel grounds one to Moore, who fields the grounder and takes it to second himself to start the double play.
7:59 p.m.: LaViolette hits a slow grounder to no man's land in between second and first, and despite the best effort from Burke to get Grahovac at second, the throw is just short. Runners on first and second with no one out.
7:56 p.m. Texas A&M scoring play: Grahovac rips a base hit into left to score Chestnut and tie the game. Needless to say, Chestnut provided a huge spark with his wheels in that inning. Texas A&M 1, Tennessee 1
7:55 p.m.: That speed keeps paying off for Chestnut as he steals third base to give the Aggies a runner on first with only one out.
7:54 p.m.: Chestnut stuns the defense by laying down a bunt with two strikes, and it lands in a perfect spot. Stark tries to make a spinning throw, but it sails wide of first and Chestnut moves up to second on the throwing error.
7:52 p.m.: Kent sends the 1-2 pitch from Sechrist into the left-center gap, but Dreiling races it down and makes a nice catch for the first out of the inning.
7:47 p.m. End of second: Moore loops a breaker into foul territory with enough room for Burton to make the catch to end the inning.
7:46 p.m.: Another full count for the Volunteers, and this one ends in a walk as Stark lays off an inside pitch to bring Moore up to the plate with a runner on first and two out.
7:44 p.m.: The first two Tennessee batters in the second work full counts, but nothing to show for it. Peebles swings and misses at a high slider for the punchout.
7:41 p.m.: Curley hits a hard grounder back up the middle, but Lamkin makes a nice snag to throw him out at first.
7:37 p.m. End top second: Tennessee fans thought the 2-2 breaker caught the backside of the zone, but it was called a ball. The next pitch, nearly in the same spot, is swung through and missed by Camarillo for the strikeout as Sechrist leaves Schott at first after the leadoff single.
7:35 p.m.: Ensley's staying busy in center as Sorrell flies out up the middle as well.
7:34 p.m.: Burton makes strong contact, but it's kept in the ballpark on a flyout to center. The wind is blowing in, which means there could be plenty of long flies that stay in the yard.
7:33 p.m.: The Aggies are in the hit column as Schott slaps the 0-1 pitch to left for a leadoff single.
7:29 p.m. End of first: Tears hits a grounder to first, and the pitcher beats the race to the bag for the out. Aggies avoid any further damage in the first.
7:27 p.m.: Lamkin gets Ensley to chase a back-foot breaker to end a three-pitch strikeout.
7:25 p.m.: Four-pitch walk issued to Dreiling sets Ensley up with runners on first and second and only one out.
7:23 p.m.: Amick gets under a high offering from Lamkin and flies out to shallow center.
7:21 p.m.: Two batters, two hits for Tennessee as Burke rips a single into right.
7:18 p.m. Tennessee scoring play: That's the Christian Moore for whom Tennessee fans have been waiting. Moore, who had been 1-for-8 in the first two games, leads off the bottom of the first by ripping a 389-foot home run to left to give the Volunteers the early lead.
7:14 p.m. End top first: For the first time in this CWS finals, no home run for the Aggies in the first inning. Appel grounds out to second as Sechrist goes 1-2-3 against the top of the order.
7:13 p.m.: On a 3-2 count, LaViolette swings through a 70 mph breaker for a strikeout.
7:11 p.m.: Grahovac sends a fly ball to right, but unlike Game 1, this ball is staying in the yard as Tears makes the grab around the foul line.
7:10 p.m.: Let's get this game underway. The first pitch is looked at by Grahovac for a strike.
6:55 p.m.: Here's a pitching preview of the two starters on the hill in today's game.
6:10 p.m.: A final send-off for both teams as they head back to Charles Schwab Field. The final game of the 2024 college baseball is about 60 minutes away.
5:39 p.m.: Here's a look at the lineups for tonight's game:
Texas A&M
- Gavin Grahovac, 3B
- Jace LaViolette, RF
- Jackson Appel, C
- Hayden Schott, DH
- Ted Burton, 1B
- Caden Sorrell, LF
- Ali Camarillo, SS
- Kaeden Kent, 2B
- Travis Chestnut, CF
P: Justin Lamkin
Tennessee
- Christian Moore, 2B
- Blake Burke, 1B
- Billy Amick, 3B
- Dylan Dreiling, LF
- Hunter Ensley, CF
- Kavares Tears, RF
- Dean Curley, SS
- Cannon Peebles, DH
- Cal Stark, C
P: Zander Sechrist
How to watch Texas A&M vs. Tennessee
- Start time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee will be carried on ESPN. Those hoping to stream the game can find it on ESPN+ or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
College World Series schedule
Saturday, June 22
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| CWS Finals Game 1 | Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 5 |
Sunday, June 23
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| CWS Finals Game 2 | Tennessee 4, Texas A&M 1 |
Monday, June 24
| Game | Matchup/Result | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| CWS Finals Game 3 | Texas A&M vs. Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |